Chartres to CDG by car

I have never been to France before and am renting a car to do the Loire Valley. I am considering staying in Chartres the night before I fly out of CDG at 12 noon. Will I reasonably be able to leave the hotel in Chartres, return my rental car (at CDG) and get to the airport in advance of my flight. I fly out on July 20, which is a Monday. Is this doable? Google maps says the trip should be 1.5 hours. How horrific will the rush hour traffic be? What time should I leave Chartres? Any advice would be appreciated!

J. Elphick

Canada

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You really need to be at the airport 3 hours before your flight, which means arriving for check-in by 9 a.m. If you were to drive up from Chartres you would be in the midst of heavy traffic and would need to allow at least 2 hours for the trip.

Staying in Paris or near the airport is probably a better option. If you stay in Paris you can return the car and then take the RER or a shuttle to the airport. If you want to keep the car, then an airport hotel would work best for you, I think.

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This is something I do frequently. However unless you know exactly where you are going and have a good idea of the possible traffic problems, I%26#39;d allow 2.5 to 3 hours time en route.

Add that to the 3 hours generally required for airport processing and you%26#39;ll need to depart Chartres early.

Rental car return is easy (follow the signs for %26quot;Car Rental%26quot;) and there is a gas station if you need to top off you tank, right at the airport entrance.